For months now, I’ve kept my suitcase in the bedroom, because I packed and unpacked it so frequently over the past year. Finally, today, I put it away in the garage.

Everyone is trying to figure out “the new normal” under these incredible circumstances of strict quarantine around the world.
You can’t work the way you’ve been working.
You can’t parent the way you’ve been parenting.
You can’t travel the way you’ve been traveling.
You have both “all the time in the world” and “no time at all”.
You’re flooded with lists of online resources for everything, and it’s overwhelming.
You’re as efficient as could be, but it still feels like you’re half-a**ing everything.
(And when I say “you”, I really mean “I”, “we”, “all of us”…)

This quarantine is like a magnifying glass: it will amplify what has been happening in your life – the good and the difficult. True colors of our relationships and priorities will become brighter, and it won’t always be pretty.

If you are working from home with young kids and possibly your significant other (who is also working), there are no magic tricks and words of wisdom to make things seamless.

Something will have to go, until over time, it will somehow be figured out.

If you’re essential personnel and have been working on site, Thank you. You’re making a world of a difference. We see you, and we appreciate your expertise, experience, time, and bravery more than you imagine.

Do you remember how New York City lived through hurricane Sandy in 2012? After that, it felt like we could get through anything as a community. Now, we are figuring out how to stay connected as a community while practicing physical distancing, and keeping the “social” part, even if virtually.

As a coach, I can offer you my time and experience, should you need to talk to someone about what’s going on. And some stories. Over the next 10 days, I will be sharing stories with you, hoping to keep us all thinking, dreaming, planning, playing, and allowing. Here’s the game plan:

Day 1. Working while parenting under quarantine
Day 2. Plan B for high achievers
Day 3. A way through uncertainty
Day 4. You are a BBC Dad now
Day 5. When we can’t bulletproof our lives
Day 6. What’s not broken
Day 7. Recalculating the route
Day 8. When to take the easy path
Day 9. Restless While Waiting? Do this.
Day 10. “Things should be different.”

I hope you accept the departure from the usual monthly newsletter, just for the next 10 days. Maybe, it will help us stay connected, and make it easier to get through these uncertain times. (Please, sign up for my newsletter to get the updates in your inbox.)

I’d love to hear your stories of getting through this seemingly impossible challenge of working, learning parenting and creating under quarantine. How are you making things work? Please, share your story with me, Alina@AlinaBas.com

FIGURING IT OUT TOGETHER

Much of my executive coaching work is done remotely via video conferencing/phone, as my clients are all over the map. While it may not be wise now to stick your hand into the Boca della Verita in Rome, we can still search for your deep truth through coaching, via Skype, Hangouts, or Zoom, http://AlinaBas.com/get-started . We can talk about your priorities, managing virtual teams, co-working with your spouse from a home office, and strategies for moving through uncertainty.

* * * * *
I did a workshop called “Emergency Coaching Response” for leaders during the People’s Recovery Summit in NYC after hurricane Sandy. I offer a similar program now (remotely) for corporate leaders, lay leaders, and managers. Please email me at Alina@AlinaBas.com if your company or group may be interested. Learn to: Help a person in distress regain focus and calm on the spot, Ask questions without intimidating or frustrating a person in crisis, Shift the person in crisis away from spinning stories and focus on the present, and Guide a person in crisis to allow for new possibilities in a post-crisis life.

* * * * *One of my favorite workshops to teach is “Intuition: Myths, Science, and Practice”. I’ve taught it to software engineers, financial analysts, entrepreneurs, lawyers – analytical thinkers interested in developing their sensory capacities to understand and use their intuition more effectively. One-on-one skill development, private groups, corporate workshops. Understand what scientists and practitioners know about intuition, and learn to use the body as a sensor for information that is not accessible through step-by-step reasoning. Please pm me or email at Alina@AlinaBas.com for more info.